Means for disinfecting and/or deodorizing waste pipes



Dec. 3, 1963 J. c. THORNTON 3,112,499

MEANS FOR DISINFECTING AND/0R DEODORIZING WASTE PIPES Fild May 12, 1960 Fig. 2

Fig. 3 INVENTOR JAME$ COWARD THORNTON United States Patent 3,112,499 MEANS FGR DHSRNFECTING AND/GR DEGDORIZING WASTE PIPES James Coward Thornton, Mountsorre], England, assignor to E.C.K. Manufacturing Company Limited, Maeclesfield, England Filed May 12, 1960, Ser. No. 28,595 2 Claims. (Cl. 4222) This invention is for improvements in or relating to means for disinfecting and/or deodorizing waste pipes and has for an object to provide means of a particularly simple and effective form which can be mmufactured economically. The term deodor-izing is used herein in a broad sense to cover converting an unpleasant smell to a pleasant one either by masking or substitution as well as merely removing an unpleasant smell.

In accordance with the invention there is provided a red like disinfecting and/or deodorizing device for waste pipes, comprising an elongated support having Stern and head portions, and solid disinfecting and/ or deodorizing material carried by the stem portion of the support and erodable by liquid impinging on the device, the head portion of the support being adapted to rest on a part of a grid in a Waste p'pe adjacent to an aperture through which the stem portion is passed and being provided with a fulcrum so that the stem portion of the support can pendulate below said aperture. This form of construction ensures that the disinfecting and/ or deodorizing material is presented to liquid flowing down a waste pipe to which the device is fitted even when the liquid has a swirling action tending to hold it centrifugally against the wall of the waste pipe. In such circumstance rocking motion of the device will be promoted so that the lower part of the device is brought into contact with the liquid near the wall of the waste pipe.

Preferably in carrying out the invention opposite portions of the head or arm are fiared or slanted upwardly to assist grasping the head for removal of the device.

The invention may be applied to a device employing a hollow tubular support having its wall Otf grid like form with longitudinally extending apertures therein separated endwise at intervals by ring like portions of the wall of the stem.

A further provision of the invention is a moulded plastic support for use in a device as aforementioned.

A preferred form of construction embodying the invention is illustrated by way of example in the accompanying drawings wherein FIGURE 1 is a perspective view partly broken away of a support for a disinfecting and/or deodorizing device in accordance with the invention,

FIGURE 2 is a cross sectional view of the stem of the support when charged with the erodable material,

FIGURE 3 is a detailed view in partial cross section showing the upper part of a modified form of the device, and

FIGURE 4 is a view corresponding to FIGURE 3 illustrating another modification.

Referring first to FIGURES 1 and 2 there is shown a tubular support 18 formed from plastic'for example by a suitable moulding procedure and provided with an integral head formed by a flange 19. The support is of grid like form comprising a number of longitudinal bars 20 connected at intervals by integral rings 21 and has a bottom end wall 22 formed with apertures 26. The tubular stem of the support 18 is filled with a solid disinfecting and/or de-odorizing substance which is indicated at 2J4 in FIGURE 2 and preferably fills the spaces within the bars 20 and the interstices between them as well as the apertures 23. As shown in FIGURE 1 the head 19 of the device is provided with a fulcrum by means of V section for pivotally suspending said '3,llZ,499 Patented Dec. 3, 1963 projections provided diametrically on the under side of head =19, one such projection being indicated at 25. On these projections the rod like body of the device can pendulate, its stem being arranged to have sufiicient clearance within the aperture of a sink grid to permit this. The advantage is thereby secured that in the event of liquid passing down the waste pipe with a swirling action tending to hold it centrifugally toward the wall of the pipe a rocking action of the disinfecting and/or deodorizing device will be promoted causing its lower part to swing into close contact with the liquid.

In FIGURE 1 the head 19 of the being formed with beveled or slanted edges 26 so that the top of the edge slightly overhangs the bottom thereof. This will assist grasping of the head by a finger and thumb in the confined space at the top of the waste pipe when it is desired to remove the device for replacement or inspection.

Other ways of constructing the head ing it are shown in FIGURES 3 and 4. In FIGURE 3 a head 27 corresponding to head 19 (and shown resting on a sink grid 31) is formed at opposite sides of a diameter with slightly winged upwardly extending projections 28 for this purpose. On the other hand FIGURE 4 shows a modified head 29 which is of part cylindrical form as indicated in the side elevation view, its central part forming a diametn'cal fulcrum in place of the projections 25 whilst its edge portions indicated at 29a removed from the fulcrum are spaced from the sink grid 31 suificiently to permit easy grasping. FIGURES 3 and 4 also indicate at 33 the aperture in the sink grid through which the stem of the device is passed.

The material used as the disinfecting and/or deodoriz ing material may conveniently be one obtained or provided in crystal or powder form which can be melted or softened by heat so that with any desired additions it can be formed into a rod in the support and, if desired, sufficient pressure may be applied to consolidate the material and ensure its firm engagement with the support. Alternatively the stern of the support may be filled with pellets of the :said material. A particularly suitable material for use as the erodable filling isa composition comprising one or more of the substances known in short as DCMX (dichlorometaxylenol), PCMX (parachlorometaxylenol), and P CMC (parachlorometacresol) in admixture with a solubilising agent, for example saponified castor oil.

It will be appreciated that the stem and head of the improved device may be made of different lengths and diameters according to the sizes and types of waste pipes in association with which they are intended to be used. The stem of the support when charged with the erodable material may be encased in a protective envelope capable of being stripped off before use or of being dissolved away rapidly when the device is put into use. e

What I claim is:

1. A rod-like device for suspension in waste pipes, drains and the like comprising an elongated support having a tubular stem and an enlarged head, said stem being of suitable thickness to pass through a central comparatively narrow grid opening of a waste pipe, drain or the like, and be suspended by means of the said head for contact externally of the rod-like device with liquids passing through outer grid openings, fulcrum means on said head elongated support so that said elongated support can pendulate, said stem having a wall of grid-like =fiorm having longitudinally extending slots supported endwise at intervals by portions of the tube extending continuously around it, and solid erodable material filling the interior of said stem and exposed to the action of liquids through the slots in the wall of said stem.

2. A rod-like device for suspension in waste pipes,

device is shown as to facilitate graspdrains and the like comprising an elongated support having a tubular stem and an enlarged head, said stem being of suitable thickness to pass through a central comparatively narrow grid opening of a Waste pipe, drain or the like, and be suspended by means of the said head for contact externally of the rod-like device with liquids passing through outer grid openings, said enlarged head having two V-shaped projections provided diametrically on the underside thereof with said projections affording a fulcrum effect whereby said elongated support can pendulate, said stem having a Wall of grid-like form having longitudinally extending slots supported endwise at intervals by portions of the tube extending continuously around it, and solid erodab'le material filling the interior of said stem and exposed to the action of liquids through the slots in the wall of said stern.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

1. A ROD-LIKE DEVICE FOR SUSPENSION IN WASTE PIPES, DRAINS AND THE LIKE COMPRISING AN ELONGATED SUPPORT HAVING A TUBULAR STEM AND AN ENLARGED HEAD, SAID STEM BEING OF SUITABLE THICKNESS TO PASS THROUGH A CENTRAL COMPARATIVELY NARROW GRID OPENING OF A WASTE PIPE, DRAIN OR THE LIKE, AND BE SUSPENDED BY MEANS OF THE SAID HEAD FOR CONTACT EXTERNALLY OF THE ROD-LIKE DEVICE WITH LIQUIDS PASSING THROUGH OUTER GRID OPENINGS, FULCRUM MEANS ON SAID HEAD FOR PIVOTALLY SUSPENDING SAID ELONGATED SUPPORT SO THAT SAID ELONGATED SUPPORT CAN PENDULATE, SAID STEM HAVING A WALL OF GRID-LIKE FORM HAVING LONGITUDINALLY EXTENDING SLOTS SUPPORTED ENDWISE AT INTERVALS BY PORTIONS OF THE TUBE EXTENDING CONTINUOUSLY AROUND IT, AND SOLID ERODABLE MATERIAL FILLING THE INTERIOR OF SAID STEM AND EXPOSED TO THE ACTION OF LIQUIDS THROUGH THE SLOTS IN THE WALL OF SAID STEM. 